In fact, while Nick Foligno did not plan the surprise on his own, it could not have been more perfect for him.
Last Thursday was a memorable day for Foligno that saw him receive the first special call from the Blackhawks where he was named the 35th captain in the team’s history. But that was not the only time for celebration because the live audience at the rink included Foligno’s children, Milana, Landon, and Hudson who intended to give Foligno his No. 17 jersey complete with the ‘C’ for the first time.
From Ottawa to Chicago: Foligno’s Journey Through the NHL
This moment became one of the favorites of his hockey career.“It was unbelievably special,” Foligno said in an interview with NHLdraft.org.“I knew before even my wife, Janelle did – one wonders how the wife kept stumm about it.”He went on to say “It was such a beautiful way to present it.”My family is a big source of encouragement and encouragement for me always.
Everyone knows how much they appreciate them and therefore having my kids see this moment meant more to me than they could ever imagine.
Key Moments in Foligno’s Career: Awards and Achievements
Although praised and regarded highly in the entire league, Foligno reveals that he feels the same way regarding a new title, that of a captain.
“It’s a substantial achievement in both historical and personal aspects too,” Foligno mumbled. “This is not only a medal but indeed a serious hat that I have.”
He added, “When I woke up the next morning and realized everything that I have been honored through, I was in a state of disbelief. I am satisfied beyond my dreams.”
Drafted 28th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2006 NHL Draft; the Buffalo, New York native has played 1155 regular season hockey games in the NHL for the Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and now the Blackhawks, scoring 562 points overall. Foligno has played the 4th highest number of games and is 9th in points scored and Tenth in assists among active American-born players.
In the past, he was the captain of the Blue Jackets main lineup over a time period of six seasons between 2015 and 2021 and guided the team to 4 consecutive playoffs for years 2017 to 2020.
Now, Foligno who is in his 17th season in the NHL and whose dad Mike spent 15 years in the NHL and brother Marcus is with the Minnesota Wild, joins his second season with the Blackhawks.
Building a Team: Foligno’s Vision for the Blackhawks
It was my first year when I began with Ottawa and I most likely got the opportunity to learn about some versatile players,” said Foligno, who won the Mark Messier Leadership Award and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2017. “It has remained relevant in order to the periods that I was in Columbus and even when I moved to another station.” The same can be said about his stay in Boston. “Each stop I believe is informative, each stop – though for a few minutes or hours – because of necessity,” Foligno said. “I have found it quite inspiring in Boston when I was skating alongside Patrice Bergeron, who is one of the figureheads of hockey.”
He went on to say, “Subsequently, you start borrowing these attributes from all these leaders, and they become part of your body.” To Foligno, who is now a captain of the club, the leadership is rooted in the personality of the leader. The main virtue, Stéphane, is that you have to be as real and natural as possible.” You can’t pretend. It’s very insincere: you copy somebody else. You have to be you.” Lastly, he stated, “The knowledge that I gain from all my experience is that it’s attention buster to demand the best for the team. The popular adage in this regard includes – ‘If you win the game for the team then you are in a way helping ‘yourself’.
For instance, a leader must be as caring to his teammates as a family would, according to Foligno. It might sound trivial, but I do my best to make people feel like a family, to have common grounds where they can understand each other. This makes them feel the urge to be accountable for the tasks required of them in order to make sure we have all that we need. The biggest factor is teamwork because it is all about everyone pulling in the same direction and I have been lucky to have the backing of my fellow crew members.
He added further: “It is also true in the context of how we stood in support of each other regarding the game and life away from hockey. In another respect, the effectiveness changes when we can support one another and I believe this is possible. That is what we are attempting to reach in Chicago, and we have the people that can make it happen.” As for himself being a bona fide guy in the profession, Foligno realized the ugly truth for success there is a time like this, yet far more significant is the awareness of the ticking clock awaiting Chicago in the future.
“I am really happy to be in a position to assist in trying to create that structure and culture for the next generation of players that will be playing for the team and succeeds in achieving the levels of success that is expected in the near future,” he says. The new captain of the Chicago team appears to be ready for such responsibilities. “I know where I stand in my career and I think at the current time I can help and contribute to the team’s success. In the future, I would like to hope that, out of all of us, some of these young talented people would have grabbed the leadership positions. It
